JAMES WATT paddle steamer 1821

[aukepalmhof]

The paddle steamer JAMES WATT depicts on the East German stamp was built in 1821 by the yard of John & Charles Wood, Port Glasgow.
Launched 19 June 1921 as JAMES WATT.
Tonnage 294 tons burthen, dim. 145.8 x 25.6 x 16.7ft.
Engine power not given.
Carried also sails.
03 October 1821 registered and her first owner’s registration dated 19 November 1821 gives, it was a group of gentlemen in London.

Her first master is given as P. Dall, later P. Dull.
Used in the service between London and Leith.
05 March 1824 was she re-registered to the London & Edinburgh Steam Packet Co. London.
20 September 1837 re-registered in London, owner now given as General Steam Packet Co., her tonnage is then given as 466 gross, 295 net, dim. 143.0 x 23.6 x 16.8ft.
She ended her days in a cross-channel service between London and Le Havre, her first voyage in this service was in 1840.

Registry closed on 21 September 1853 annotated “broken up”.

She was the first steam vessel registered in Lloyds Register.

There is much confusion on this vessel, some sources says she was sold to the Netherlands and renamed STAD KEULEN, but this is not correct, this paddle steamer was built on the yard of the Nederlansche Stoom Boot Maatschappij (NSBC) in 1828.
A watercolour sketch by Johan Geblij of this vessel you can find in the town museum of Cologne, it shows the vessel with only one mast and a funnel, but it is not known how accurate the painting is.
To make the confusion even greater, an other JAMES WATT was built in 1824 by the yard of Humble & Hurry in Liverpool, but she was later sold to Australia.
Many sources mix all this information on these three ships.

(Till so far the modern cargo vessel depict on the stamp is not identified.)

East Germany 1974 10pf sgE1700, scott 1585.
Lesotho 1999 sg?, scott 1051

Sources: Archives of MARHST-L, Charles Dawson. Custom House registers held at the Transcript & Transaction (BT 107) at the Public Record Office, London.

[D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen]

2 cyl. Boulton & Watt steam engine: 100 hp. later 60 hp.
(Lesotho 1999, M4, StG.?)